


That's What Boyfriends Are For

by Anonymous



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Christmas fun, Fluff, Gift Exchange, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, PJO Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-23
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2019-02-19 05:19:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13116876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Nico didn’t like Christmas.  That was just a fact, a fact that Will Solace was having a very hard time understanding.[In which Will and Nico spend the holidays together]





	That's What Boyfriends Are For

**Author's Note:**

  * For [salty_nico](https://archiveofourown.org/users/salty_nico/gifts).



> This is my gift for @salty-nico for the PJO Secret Santa. I hope you like it, and happy holidays!
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Nico didn’t like Christmas.That was just a fact, a fact that Will Solace was having a very hard time understanding as he sat with his boyfriend at dinner.

“I just don’t get why it’s such a big deal,” Nico grumbled, poking at his syrup-soaked pancakes with a fork.“Nico!” Will gasped, staring at his boyfriend.“It’s Christmas!Of course it’s a big deal!”

Nico glanced up, eyes narrowed.“What about people here who aren’t Christian, and don’t celebrate Christmas?” he asked.“Will, we’re the children of the Greek gods.We’re basically pagan by definition.”

Will sighed.He just didn’t understand why his boyfriend wasn’t as excited about the holidays as he was.When he had sat down at the Apollo table in his favorite Christmas sweater, all Nico had done was give him an odd look, but he had straight up refused when Will had offered him a matching sweater.“Weren’t you raised Catholic?” Will asked.“Didn’t you celebrate Christmas as a kid back in Italy?Come on, Nico, maybe it will bring back some nice memories.”

Nico’s expression soured, and he abruptly got to his feet.“I have some work to do for my father,” he said stiffly, and stalked off.Will stared after him, and then slowly sighed, running his fingers through his hair.It was clear that there was something deeper going on, something that was genuinely upsetting Nico.And Will would find out what it was, so he could help his boyfriend enjoy Christmas again.

“Think about it,” Kayla said, sitting down on Will’s left.“He’s probably missing his family around this time of year.”

Will sighed, resting his hands on the table and his chin on top of his hands, the light of the sacrificial fire reflected in his eyes.“Yeah, I guess that makes sense,” he said softly.“And I don’t want to devalue his grief, I just… I wish he could be happy, sometimes.I know relationships can't cure all problems, but I wish I could _help_ him be happy.”

“I think you do,” Kayla said, patting her older brother on the shoulder.“You make him smile.Sometimes that’s enough.”

Will smiled a little.“Yeah?”

“Yep,” Kayla said.“You know, after his sister died, I didn’t ever really see him smile.At least, not in a way that wasn’t creepy.Now he’s usually smiling at least a little if he’s with you.”

“I should go find him, shouldn’t I?” Will said.

Kayla shrugged.“He’s _your_ boyfriend,” she said.“Do what you think is right.”

Will got to his feet, and dumped the rest of his food into the sacrificial fire.“Thanks, Kayla,” he said.

Kayla waved him off.“Oh, well, that’s what sisters are for,” she said.“Where would you be without someone to kick your sorry ass into shape?”

Will laughed.“I’ll see you in a bit, Kayla,” he said, and then strode off in the direction of the Hades cabin.Sure enough, he found Nico settled on the roof of his cabin with his knees drawn up to his chest, staring out at the night.

"Hey, Neeks," Will called softly."Can I come up?"

Nico glanced down at him, and then shrugged listlessly.Will breathed a small sigh of relief and scrambled up the hidden ladder on the side of the Hades cabin.He settled himself cross legged next to his boyfriend, resting his hands in his lap, but he stayed silent.He sensed it was better to let Nico start.

The two demigods sat in silence for several minutes in the cool night air, Nick staring off into the night and Will surreptitiously watching Nico out of the corner of his eye.Finally, Nico said softly, "Back when I was little, my mama used to make panettone every Christmas Eve, and she wouldn't let Bianca or I touch it until Christmas, after Mass.She always made the best panettone."Will stayed silent.He could tell Nico wasn't done.

"Even with Father's occasional help, we weren't that wealthy," Nico said quietly."There was only so much he could do without Persephone knowing, of course, and Italy in the 1920s and 1930s was... well, most of Europe was kind of rough, honestly.But even though we struggled with money sometimes, Mama always made sure Bianca and I got a gift from La Befana.I know now that she must have been working extra jobs to afford it, that she was running herself down, doing hard labor, jobs she wouldn't take under normal circumstances... she'd come home late sometimes after work and just sit at the table and stare at her hands.When she was older, Bianca would help too, she would do odd jobs around the neighborhood, babysit kids and do loads of laundry..."Nico's voice hitched,and he paused for a long moment before whispering, "I didn't realize.Back then, I didn't realize. I- I wish I could go back, thank them, tell them I'm sorry-"

Will glanced sideways just in time to see Nico scrubbing at his face.Wordlessly, he opened his arms, and Nico leaned against him.They stayed like that for a few minutes, Nico with his face pressed against Wills shoulder and Will with his arms around Nico's waist.

Finally, Nico pulled away a little, rubbing at the back of his neck in embarrassment."Sorry," he muttered. "I'm being stupid.Just forget about it."

"You're not being stupid," Will murmured."You're not."

Nico swallowed hard.

"I'm sorry I brought up some painful memories for you," Will added.He reached out and carefully took Nico's hand, and after a moment Nico relaxed and laced their fingers together.

"It's not your fault," he said."I know you were just trying to have fun."

Will sighed."Is there anything I can do to make the holidays a little better for you?"

Nico gave him a tiny smile."Things are already better than they were," he said. "I'm not spending the holidays alone this year."

Will smiled slowly, and kissed him on the cheek."I'm glad," he said.

Nico leaned against him again, a warm, comforting weight against Will's side.Will smiled, kissing his boyfriend on the top of the head, even as he started to plan. 

***

Nico was pleasantly tired by the time he finished sparring with Jason and Percy in the amphitheater.Percy and Jason, along with Annabeth and Piper, were back at Camp Half-blood for the holidays, and Nico was surprised at how happy he had been to see his friends.After not being around them for several months, talking only through Iris Messages, it was nice to see them in person.Even though Percy had already made at least four ‘not my type’ jokes, more than once in front of Will.

Nico ran his fingers through his hair, dislodging some of the snowflakes caught there, and exhaled before stomping his boots on the the porch of his cabin to get rid of the snow before stepping inside.To his surprise, Will was waiting inside his cabin with a wide smile, and it was clear he had been there for a while.

Nico looked around, openmouthed, at the small Christmas tree in the corner strung with fairy lights, the crackling fire in the grate Nico usually left cold and empty, strings of sparky tinsel hung here and there from the ceiling, a small pile of presents under the tree, and most importantly, his boyfriend standing in the middle of the room with two cups of steaming hot chocolate in his hands and a nervous small on his face.

“What do you think?” he said tentatively.

Nico swallowed hard.Seeing the decorations, the tree, the presents, brought back memories, but somehow it wasn’t nearly as painful as he had expected.“I… I like it,” Nico croaked, no idea why he was suddenly rather overcome with emotion.“Thank you, Will.”

Will’s nervous smile grew into a wide, genuine one, and he beckoned Nico further in with a jerk of his chin.“Come on, I’m sure you’re freezing,” he said.

Nico toed off his boots and leaned his sword against the wall by the door without taking his eyes off Will, and then laughed a little awkwardly.“Well, I’m always cold.”

“A problem I’m still trying to solve,” Will huffed, and handed Nico a cup of hot chocolate when he was close enough.

“Thanks,” Nico murmured, cupping the warm mug, and took a moment to inhale the comfortingly familiar scent.

“It’s my mom’s recipe,” Will said.

Nico took a small sip, and then grinned in surprise.“This is actually really good,” he told Will, and the son of Apollo rolled his eyes.

“Well of course it is,” he huffed, and then gave Nico a gentle smile.“Come sit with me.”

Nico padded across the room to the small sofa in front of the fire place that he had never used, and settled himself next to Will.They snuggled together in silence for a while, sipping their hot chocolate and watching the fire. After a while, Will murmured, “I know it’s not a lot, but… I wanted to try to make Christmas just a little bit better for you.Is this alright?”

Nico nodded, a little surprised to find that he meant it completely.“It… it is,” he said.“Thank you, Will.I… I’d like for Christmas to make me happy, rather than bring up painful memories.I think… I think maybe this is helping?Spending time with you, making new memories?”

Will gave him a tender, chocolate-flavored kiss.“I’m really glad,” he said.“I want you to be happy.”

Nico pressed his face into Will’s shoulder.“I think I want me to be happy too,” he whispered as if admitting a secret.

Will pulled him close, kissing the top of his head.“Thank you,” he said.“Thank you.”

“Thank you,” Nico echoed, and gave Will a small smile.

Will grinned back, blue eyes bright and loving.“That’s what boyfriends are for, right?”

Nico settled himself against Will’s side, and took his hand, lacing there fingers together.“I guess so,” he murmured, something almost like peace welling in his chest.“I guess that’s what boyfriends are for.”

**Author's Note:**

> Just a few notes (although I am by no means an expert and found this information on Google, so feel free to correct me if I'm wrong)  
> -panettone is a kind of sweet bread traditionally served around Christmas and New Years  
> -La Befana is a figure in Italian folklore similar to Santa Claus, an old woman who flies on a broom and brings children presents, although when these presents are "brought" can depend on where someone lives in Italy  
> -By 1922, Mussolini was in power in the then fascist Italy and ruling his dictatorship with an iron fist, keeping power through fear and intimidation by his allies. There was also debt and destruction as a general theme in Europe following World War I, and this wasn't made better by the Great Depression in the 1930s.
> 
> I hope you liked it! Thanks for reading, feel free to comment/ask questions if you have any, and have a great day, dear reader!


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